Circle of Women Event Stories

Maria, Girls & Youth participant in the Strong Fast Fit program:

Hi my name is Maria. I am in the Strong Fast Fit program at the YWCA. I was born in Texas. I've been living in Minnesota for ten years. I'm eleven years old and I'm in the fifth grade at Ascension School in north Minneapolis. I live with my parents Maria and Ernesto Godinez and my two sisters Alma, who is nine years old, and Leslie, who is two years old. My favorite subjects are history and math because I like knowing what happen before we were here, and I love numbers and symbols.

I also play the cello in an orchestra and individual. I enjoy learning other languages like music. When I grow up I want to become a lawyer because I like fighting for what is right in my opinion, but my greatest goal was to learn how to swim. The only place I could find relief of that heavy club on my shoulder was at the YWCA.

When I signed up for Strong Fast Fit I knew it was the right place to be because it gave me and my family the opportunity to get better together by giving us a family gym membership. My parents are happy and understand every instruction from staff - since it's in Spanish. I made some new friends, but I was not confident of everything. Then I realized I didn't believe in myself, not even a little. I used to hide myself under a shelf, and one day I said to myself: "It's time to break this shelf. This is the beginning of my trail that I had to follow, to climb a big mountain put in my way for some reason."

After that I had my way settled to victory. I had passed a mountain in my way, and it's an experience that can help me get ready for other mountains put in my way no matter their size big or small. Now I don't get shy for anything.

I just express what's in my heart. I also feel better that my grades have gone up, not just in gym, but in every subject. It's just that now I don't feel pressure on my every time I turn.

That's why I decided to have a healthy life cause if you have a healthy life you don't feel frustrated all the time with no reason. The exercising activities and nutrition classes help a lot on this hard trail because you get stronger muscles and know what's better for your health. I also learned to run without getting tired. I can even run a mile without stopping. But to do all those things I did need a positive attitude at all times. Now every time I enter the YWCA I get happy and joyful to know I achieved a goal in my life.

My wish is that other children like me get help so that their dream can become true. I hope I can continue with the YWCA as long as I can. Thank you to Luis Ramirez, Sarah, lifeguards and all the staff members. Thank you for all your support and caring. I'll never forget you. Mucho Gracias.

Mirael, Girls and Youth participant in the Girl's RAP program:

My name is Mirael Goss and I am sixteen years old. I live in Minneapolis and currently attend Washburn High School as a sophomore. I am here today, to share my story about the Resolution and Prevention program, or better known as the Girls RAP program.

Growing up in the world, your childhood should be the best thing in your life, but my childhood was mostly painful. It never meant anything to me, because in my eyes there was nothing special about it. At the age of eight, I was homeless, along with my mother Marianne and my two sisters Queen, who was four, and Teorah, who was fourteen. If we were lucky, we would stay with family, otherwise, we would live in our car. Most of the time we had little to eat, but enough to survive. I had no one to talk to about my feelings and the pain I felt.

Around the age of eleven, my mother and father were going through some problems. I blamed it all on myself and became very depressed. As I grew older, I learned to put myself in a shell. I did this because my trust was broken by many people I confided in. My family moved around a lot, which resulted in me going to many different schools. It was hard for me to open up and make friends. In fact, I got into a dispute with another girl, my freshman year in high school. From that point on I kept getting into fights. That is when I realized I needed help. My life was spinning around in an uncontrollable circle, and I decided that I needed to take control of my life and make positive decisions. But I did not know how. That is when I discovered the RAP program at the YWCA.

The RAP program, taught me how to hold my head high, walk away from conflicts, and discover new things that can make my life more positive and exciting.

When I first entered the RAP program, what really caught my attention was how girls my age experienced the same things I experienced. We talked about the many different ways to avoid conflicts, how to have healthy relationships, positive self esteem, and how to be assertive and not aggressive. The best part was knowing I had my own safe space at the YWCA where I could talk about my problems.

My counselors, Hafsa and Kyanna, and I had one-on-one conversations about my problems which helped me feel like the weight was lifted off my shoulders. They encouraged me to do my best in school, believe in myself, and be a successful young woman of color.

I also received many opportunities from the YWCA Girls RAP program. I was introduced to KFAI Youth News Initiative, and worked as a journalist intern. I voiced my opinions on African American stereotypes and created a story on KFAI radio station for all to hear. In addition, I met a mentor named Marnita who introduced me to her place of business called Marnita's Table. There I work as a junior helper and talk about politics, teen age sex, and other issues affecting teens. It is a great place to enjoy food and conversation and I am proud to announce that I was just promoted to Kitchen Captain.

With all the accomplishments that I have made, I hope my skills will take me to a higher level. My future aspirations are to go to college, start my own entrepreneurship and be successful.

I am forever grateful to have found the RAP program at the YWCA. I would like to thank my youth counselors, Hafsa and Kyanna, my mother, and my siblings. Lastly, I want to thank myself for the courage and confidence that I put into myself everyday to reach to my goals in life. Finally, I have some words of encouragement for the audience. Believe in yourself no matter what, and never tell yourself that you can't do something. Always walk with your head held high and strive for your best.

Stephanie, Children's Center parent:

My name is Stephanie Hill Simione. I'm a technical writer at US Bank; basically my job is to translate what the technical folks say or do, into language that non-technical people can understand. In addition, I also teach BodyPump and BodyVive classes in the evenings. To prepare for these careers, I obtained not one, but two degrees in Medieval Literature! I've been married to my college sweetheart, Anthony, for 16 years. We have two great kids: Zach who's almost 7 and Isabella (Izzy) who's 3 and a half. I got to spend 5 years home with my kids and when my son started kindergarten, I returned to work. That's when my relationship with the YWCA began.

I chose the YW for many reasons. I was impressed by their experienced, competent staff who clearly love and respect the kids. And I love that the YW doesn't just preach tolerance and diversity, they practice it both among their members and their staff. Another important consideration for us is that the program is peanut-free, because my son Zach has a severe peanut allergy and I didn't want to worry that Izzy would come home with peanut butter on her clothes. I have never once fretted about my decision to return to work and put her in childcare because Izzy so obviously loves it here.

One of the reasons I'm here speaking to you today, is that just a few months after I returned to work, we discovered that the cancer my husband had fought several years earlier, had returned. 6 and ½ years ago, my son, Zach, was just 4 months old, and Anthony was diagnosed with an oligodendroglioma, a type of slow-growing brain tumor. They removed a 2.5 inch mass from his right frontal-lobe, and a few months later he returned to work as a consultant in web technology. The tumor was stable for almost 5 years.

But in the fall of 2006, a routine MRI, showed that the tumor had started slowly growing again. Unfortunately, that is typical of this kind of tumor. Oligodendrogliomas can be stabilized but not cured and the average lifespan after diagnosis is 5 - 10 years. We're at 6 ½.

Because of the effects of the tumor itself and the treatment, Anthony was unable to continue working. It's uncertain whether he'll ever be able to return to work. While we applied for Social Security benefits immediately, we were denied, as is the case for most people. In the meantime, we are living on 1 /3 of our former income. And even with decent insurance through my employer, our out-of-pocket medical costs are significant; $17,000 last year.

As a well-resourced, well-educated middle class person, it never occurred to me that I could be in a position to need a scholarship for childcare. That I could be part of this group of people that makes just a little bit too much to qualify for any state or federal aid, but not enough to actually pay the bills. That I could be in a position of having to choose between affording a safe, nurturing environment for my child or the mortgage or medical bills.

I'm learning that to survive this process, I need to ask for and accept help. And thank God, the YWCA was willing and able to provide that help. What other Children's Center provides scholarships?

In the midst of worrying about health insurance, trips to Mayo, and dealing with the long-term effects of a brain tumor on our daily livesÂ….I never have to worry about whether Izzy is safe or loved or getting what she needs. The YW provides Izzy what she needs most, a consistent, stable environment. Something that, despite our best efforts, she can't always have at home.

Because of the YWCA's scholarship fund, I don't have to make that choice between competent care or chemotherapy. When I count through the many blessings we've receivedÂ….the support of friends, family and church that has kept us going day to dayÂ…the YWCA is definitely one of those blessings. And I am so very thankful for their help. Thank you.